Broken
by paranoidchild
Summary: A girl comes to Camp Green Lake and meets the one person who can understand how she feels and not judge her for it (NO IT'S NOT SQUID! :P) - Full summary inside. Ch. 12 added!
1. Prologue

Summary: Madeline Harris is sent to Camp Green Lake, numb from her experiences of the past three years. When she finds the only person there who can understand her feelings, she learns more than one lesson about life and what you shouldn't take for granted. Please R&R!

Broken: Prologue

It wasn't like she had wanted to keep the car. She just needed some kind of distraction... something to make everything seem like it wasn't happening. 

And somehow the thrill of the wind in her face and the adrenaline rush was just enough to make her forget the world. 

It wasn't like she could actually forget what had happened. The huge ball of guilt in the pit of her stomach constantly made its presence known. The reminder of the month's past events was enough to make anyone want to steal a too-rich-for-words car and just drive; drive until her heart couldn't hold everything anymore.

But speeding at 80 miles per hour wasn't really the cop on the midnight shift's idea of legally "getting away" from it all. Not that she had told him why she had the car. Now that she thought about it, he never even asked.

There wasn't any need to these days. The police was convinced that every teen has a hidden reason, usually illegal and dangerous, to why they did the things they did. 

So here she was, nearly sixteen years of age and in a courtroom, numb as she had been for the past three years when her world had collapsed around her like a pyramid of cards.

"Madeline Harris, you have been charged and found guilty with grand theft auto. Now, your past record with the Dallas Police Department has clearly shown that you can handle... a tougher surrounding for your punishment than most girls your age. There is currently a spot open at a boys detention camp, Camp Green Lake. Now because I'm feeling generous today, I will give you a choice. Camp Green Lake... or prison. It's your decision."

She blinked. _A choice. _She couldn't remember the last time she had been given a choice before. Someone always made the choice for her. Mainly because she didn't really care which way she ended up.

"Camp Green Lake," she said without a drop of emotion.

"Alright. Twenty months, Camp Green Lake," the judge said, slamming down his gavel.

***

The bus bumped along the dirt road towards its destination... wherever it was. The humid air was making her shoulder length brown hair stick to her neck. She once again rearranged her cuffed hands on the back of the ugly brown bus seat in front of her, shifting her backpack and letting it fall to the ground.

The guard stared intently at her. He was used to always having to escort boys to the camp. But this was a girl and she was very different then any of the juvenile delinquents he had seen over the years. She looked so numb and blank, like she could really care where she went, as long as she had food to eat and a bed to sleep in.

Another hour passed and the bus finally reached the beginning of the long series of holes. Madeline's deep green eyes were drawn away from the hole on the seat adjacent to her and to the holes in the desert dirt. 

The holes seemed to stretch on out forever. Every once in awhile a human figure could be seen through the dusty windows of the old bus. Each one had a shovel in their hand.

At last, the bus came to a screeching halt in the middle of a cluster of tents and wood buildings. The guard stood up and stretched, then coming over to the brunette and unlocked her handcuffs. She rubbed the sensitive skin where the metal had once been and grabbed her backpack, following the guard off the bus.

As soon as she stepped off the old vehicle, all the boys who had been standing or sitting around looked up from what they were doing, sizing up the new boy. But they were in for a huge shock when they discovered it was a girl, not a boy, who had just been sentenced to the detention camp.


	2. Chapter 1: New Kid

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Chapter One - New Kid

Madeline's eyes looked around the cramped office. It smelled of sunflower seeds and something she couldn't quite place. There was a desk in the middle of the room and a small chair in front of it. 

"Sit," the guard ordered, gesturing towards the chair. She glared at him but did as she was told.

Suddenly, the door to the office opened and a man walked in. He didn't look at her but sat down at the desk and grabbed a manila folder and a handful of sunflower seeds that were sitting at his feet.

"Hmmm... Madeline Harris. Can't say we've ever had a... girl before....," the man said to himself. The brunette noticed a snake tattoo on his right arm. 

"So, do you really think you can... handle this camp, Harris?" he asked her, finally making eye contact. She stared at him, her expression not changing.

"If the damn judge thought I couldn't then he would've sent me straight to jail," she said coldly. The man's eyebrow rose and he spit the sunflower shell into a jar on the desk. Getting up, he read aloud from the folder.

"Grand theft auto and speeding at 80 miles per hour in a 40 zone. Were you just trying to get caught or something, Harris?" 

Madeline rolled her eyes.

"Don't you go rolling your eyes at me, missy. Just because you're a girl don't mean you're gonna get no special privileges."

She didn't even flinch.

"My name is Mr. Sir. You will call me by that name when you address me, is that clear?" Mr. Sir said, throwing the folder back down on the desk. 

For the first time in a long time, Madeline felt a sudden bubbling in her chest. It took her a second to realize what it was, but eventually discovered it was laughter. 

"Yes, Mr. Sir," she replied with a slight smile. This didn't go unnoticed by him. 

'This girl's gonna have a long twenty months ahead of her....," he thought darkly.

***

After Madeline had gotten changed into her clothes, her backpack was inspected and she was led to a tent with a large "D" written in fading white paint. 

"Madeline Harris? I'm Dr. Pendanski, your counselor," a sunburnt man said. Mr. Sir nodded in his direction and went off in another direction. 

"This is going to be your new home for the next twenty months. I'd advise you to make the best of it," Pendanski said as they walked into the tent. 

Five boys were all scattered in different places among the tent. They all stopped talking and laughing when they saw the counselor and the girl enter.

"Boys, this is Madeline. Madeline, this is Rex, José, Theodore, Alan, Ricky, and Zero," he said, pointing towards all the boys. "But don't expect Zero to say anything to you."

"My name is X-Ray, that's Magnet, Armpit, Squid, and ZigZag. We call him Mom," one of the boys said, gesturing towards the others like Pendanski had done. Madeline noticed X-Ray didn't say anything about Zero. She looked over at the boy that her counselor had pointed at. He was lying on the bed, not really moving at all. If it wasn't for the steady rise and fall of his chest she would assume he was dead. 

Suddenly Zero's eyes switched their interest from the foot of his cot to her emerald green eyes. Taken by surprise by this action, she blinked. Just as soon as her eyes opened again his gaze was back on the end of the bed. 

'Geez... he's weird...,' she thought to herself, setting her backpack and clothes down on the empty cot parallel to Zero's. 

***

Later at dinner, it seemed like every pair of eyes in the mess hall was on her. ZigZag motioned from over at their table and slid over on the bench. 

"D tent's eats over here," he said. She sat down and looked at all of them. X-Ray stared at her intensely, as if deciding if she was a threat or not.

"So... what did you get busted for?" Magnet asked. Madeline took a bite of her bread and thought for a moment before answering.

"Grand theft auto and speeding," she said simply, as if it was nothing in the world. ZigZag whistled and Squid snorted.

"What about all you guys? You can't tell me you're in this place for nothing," she said, batting her eyelashes. She could already tell that they were hooked... this was going to be an interesting twenty months. 

***

Later that night, everyone was in the tent. All the boys besides Zero were talking quietly in a corner. Madeline walked into the tent, fresh from a shower; her wet hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had a pair of pajama shorts and a t-shirt on it. 

Magnet looked up from the group and shushed the group. They all went back to their own cots. Madeline's eyebrow rose and she rolled her eyes. 

Setting her orange suit down at the foot of her bed, she grabbed the pad of paper and a pencil from the case at the foot of her bed. The boys were still staring at her.

"What?" she asked, looking at them like they had three heads. "I can't be THAT interesting, can I?"

"Usted no tiene la menor idea," Magnet said, snickering. Madeline rolled her eyes and lied back on her cot. Some of the boys resumed talking and she looked around. Chewing on her lower lip, she placed the pencil point on the paper.

***

The next morning, a loud horn awakened Madeline from her deep sleep.

"What the fuck?!" she cursed under her breath. Still muttering, she got up and quickly changed, following the rest of the boys out of the tent.

"Alright... everyone to the Library - Pronto!" the counselor from C-tent bellowed. Madeline was confused but followed the rest of her tent. 

They stopped in front of a small shed marked "Library" in faded black paint. Mr. Sir suddenly appeared, a silver coffee thermos in hand, and unlocked the shed.

"Come and get 'em boys! And... girl," he yelled. Madeline rolled her eyes at his remark and grabbed a shovel. 

***

During the walk out into the desert, the boys started whispering. Annoyed, Madeline decided to move up and walk beside Zero. He looked up at her for a split second before his gaze returned back ahead of him.

"Do they just not like you or something?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her again, this time longer.

"They think I'm stupid," he said quietly, this being the first thing he had said to the brunette since she arrived at the camp. 

The rest of the walk was in a stiff silence, except for the occasional whistle or catcall from a boy from another tent as she walked by. 

Finally, they reached a spot where Mr. Sir was satisfied with.

"You'll dig here, Harris," he said, making an "X" in the sand with the heel of his boot. "Five foot deep-"

"Five foot in diameter, I heard you yesterday," she spat rudely. He glared at her and walked away. She sighed.

'I guess I better get digging...,' she thought, pushing her shovel into the dirt. 


	3. Chapter 2: Kaleidoscope

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Chapter Two - Kaleidoscope 

By the time Mr. Sir came with the water truck, Madeline's hole was about one-fourth of the way finished. Seeing the other boys climbing out of their holes, she did the same and got in the line they were forming near the back of the truck, behind Zero.

X-Ray was the first to get his canteen filled. His hole was by Madeline's and he noticed her progress with her hole.

"Geez, Harris, you're a fast digger for a new kid," he commented. The rest of the boys looked, their eyebrows raising. 

"Are you like Zero or something?" Squid asked her, sitting on the edge of his hole. Zero stared at him and then looked at Madeline.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Zero likes to dig holes," Armpit said simply. "I can't see how anyone could... he's always the first one done... but he's one weird dude so yeah..."

Madeline looked at Zero, who was climbing back down into his hole. Armpit was right... Zero seemed weird. But it wasn't in a bad way. In fact... she actually kind of liked it.

***

By the time most of the boys were done, Madeline was about a half a foot away from being finished. She didn't expect them to wait around for her, and they didn't. Not that she really cared. The brunette figured this would be basically the only time she would get to herself.

This gave her time to think about things. So she was stuck in the middle of nowhere for almost two years. This seemed so impossible to stand, but she wasn't a quitter. She would rather die before giving up on something that was impossible, no matter how much sense that didn't make. 

***

"So how was the first hole?" ZigZag asked Madeline at dinner from across the table. 

"Okay I guess... it wasn't too bad... but damn, I got some shitty blisters from it," she cursed, showing them her cracked hands.

"Yep, but they'll go away in a couple days," X-Ray said, taking a drink from his metal cup. Madeline rolled her eyes and let the boys go back to their conversation. 

Twirling her fork around in the brown mixture of unidentified "food" on her tray, she looked around the mess hall. Most of the boys were eating and talking, a couple stealing glances at her. She didn't no what the big deal was. She was just a girl.

***

While the camp was in the Wreck Room, Madeline used the time to take a shower. She just stood under the water, feeling the cool water run over her body, feebly pushing the heat the pulsated off her tired body. 

Afterwards, she changed into a t-shirt and shorts and walked back to the tent. She figured she would be alone, but Zero was lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling. He looked at her for a fraction of a second when she came in, but his attention averted back again to the ugly green canvas above him. 

Madeline looked at him intently. There was something about Zero that just fascinated her. Maybe it was because he was so quiet and different from everyone else. But she just couldn't figure him out. 

Pulling out her pad of paper again, she looked over at him again and smiled. She had finally found it.

***

The next day was the same, they were awakened at 4:30 in the morning, walked out to the lake and dug their holes, only this time Madeline was a little bit more tired. Sure, she was a quick digger, but she felt exhausted from the lack of sleep.

When Dr. Pendanski came around with sack lunches, she was too tired to get up out of her half-dug hole. Her eyes were barely open as she tried desperately to stay awake. 

Pulling all the strength out of her body that she could muster, she lifted herself up out of the hole and slowly walked over to the line for lunches.

Madeline ate her lunch quickly and climbed back into her hole. She grabbed her shovel from its place near the edge of her hole, but suddenly the world lurched before her. Grasping the shovel tightly, she managed to stay standing, leaning up against it for support.

"Are you okay?"

She tiredly looked up to see Zero staring down at her, concern in his eyes. Sighing, she nodded and rubbed her head. He nodded and went back to his hole. 

'I have to get this done... I have to... I can't give up...,' she thought. Pulling herself up straight with the shovel, she took a deep breath and began digging again. 

***

The brunette finished her hole around the same time that she did the day before. Her body aching, she slowly made her way back to the camp compound. The recent dizziness had yet to pass and she felt like she was looking at the world through a kaleidoscope.

Miraculously, she made it through dinner without anyone asking her if she was okay. Chances are she wouldn't admit that something was wrong anyway. 

After the meal, most of the boys went to the Wreck Room. Still needing to take a much needed shower, Madeline hazily started making her way back to the tent to grab a clean pair of clothes.

As she was walking, another wave of dizziness came over her and suddenly everything went black.


	4. Chapter 3: Breathe

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Chapter Three - Breathe

__

As she was walking, another wave of dizziness came over her and suddenly everything went black.

Zero was walking a few feet away from her when he noticed her eyes suddenly close and her body go limp. He quickly caught her before she hit the dirt ground. 

She awoke a couple seconds later.

"Wha-what happened?" she asked, standing up with his help.

"You fainted."

"I did?"

"Yeah... are you gonna be okay? We have a counseling session with Mom tonight," Zero said. Madeline blushed and absentmindedly pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a habit that she had picked up from her mother at an early age.

"Yeah I'm fine... I guess I'm just tired and not really used to this yet," she said, keeping her voice low. He smiled at her, something that totally caught her off guard. He had an amazing smile, but she could tell that it wasn't something he did very often.

"Yeah but you'll get used to it in a couple days. You're a pretty quick digger," he commented. She laughed and smiled. 

"Not really... one of my jobs for awhile before I got arrested was planting trees in some park or something and I got pretty used to digging. But it was almost a year ago, so yeah."

He nodded and looked at the ground.

"So umm... I'll see you at the session tonight, okay?" she said, giving him a small smile. 

"See you there," he said, returning the smile before he walked towards the Wreck Room. 

Madeline sighed and smiled to herself. She didn't know why, but something was attracting her to Zero. And she liked it.

***

After getting her shower, Madeline changed into her orange jumpsuit and headed to the session.

"Madeline, nice of you to finally join us," Pendanski said when she walked in. She rolled her eyes and sat in the only empty chair in the small circle, in between X-Ray and Squid. Zero was sitting across from her, looking at his feet, his arms folded across his chest.

"Okay... now tonight we're going to discuss the things you miss now that you had before you came to camp. We'll start with José," their counselor said, motioning to Magnet.

"Let's see... I miss... hmmm," he thought outloud with a grin on his face.

"I'll tell you what he misses - he misses those widdle itty-bitty puppies that he loves so much!" the boy said with a baby voice. Everyone started laughing except Zero, who was still staring at his feet.

They went around the circle haphazardly until only Zero and Madeline were left.

"Well... Madeline what do you miss?" Pendanski asked. 

"Softball," the brunette said. "I played it all the time in Jr. High and my freshman year. I was the only freshman to make the varsity team because they thought I was that good. And my music... I love music."

Zero looked up from the floor and stared at her. She was twirling her hair around her finger and looking up at the ceiling.

"But I stopped playing after I dropped out and well, we don't have music here so I guess I'm outta luck, huh?" she said, looking at the group. They rolled their eyes and smiled at her.

"Alright Zero... not that I should even bother asking you anything, your turn."

His gaze returned to the floor. He said nothing.

"Do you think you're better than all of this?" Pendanski asked, his voice low and slightly dangerous. 

Zero looked up at him for a second, then at Madeline.

'Just say something,' she pleaded in her mind.

"Nothing worth missing," he said quietly, almost in a whisper. For a split second, a hint of emotional pain ripped across his face. Madeline looked around the room, but no one else seemed to have noticed. She looked back at him, but he was looking at the floor yet again.

***

Later that night, everyone was in their cots, sound asleep. Everyone that is, except Madeline. She couldn't sleep. She kept seeing Zero's pained expression whenever she closed her eyes. The words "nothing worth missing" echoing in her mind.

She sighed, frustrated, and quietly as she could, got out of bed and walked out of the tent. She sat down outside, a couple feet away from the dark green canvas, and looked up at the starry sky.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Madeline looked behind her and saw Zero standing a few feet away from her.

"Hey Zero... yeah I guess I couldn't. Did I wake you up?"

"No. I couldn't sleep either," he said, sitting down beside her. They just sat there in silence for awhile, staring at the stars.

"I remember when I was little, my mom would take me and my little sister out into the country every summer - just to see the stars. I love it... night is so much better than the day...," she said softly.

"Yeah... especially around here," Zero said, smiling to himself. 

***

Around noon the next day, Madeline was almost finished with her hole. Squid was in total disbelief.

"How the crap do you dig that fast?" he asked as they lined up for lunches. "You've only been here three days!"

She shrugged and grabbed a sandwich. 

"I guess I'm just a fast digger."

Madeline finished a little before the rest of her tent, besides Zero, who had finished twenty minutes after lunch, and walked back to camp by herself. Personally, she couldn't wait to get back to the tent, because she knew Zero would be there and it was sure to be quiet. 

When she thought about this, she laughed quietly to herself.

But much to her dismay, Zero wasn't lying on his cot when she entered the tent. 

'Oh well,' she thought with a sigh. 'I'm sure lying in here for the afternoon does get boring after awhile.'

She changed out of her dirty orange jumpsuit and deposited it in her crate. She had also taken to wearing a red bandana around her hair while she was digging to cover her head, which gave her some relief from the stifling heat of the day.

Tired, her muscles aching like they had the day before, she lied down on her cot and closed her eyes and tried to breathe without her head spinning.

"If I just breathe... it'll fill the space between. Oh no, everything is alright. Breathe, every little piece of me. You'll see, everything is alright... if I just breathe," she sang softly to herself.

"That's really pretty."

Her eyes snapped open and she looked over and saw Zero lying on his cot, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Umm... thanks. It's from a song...," she said, her cheeks growing red from embarrassment. She had never thought of herself as much of a singer, but Zero didn't seem to care.

"I like it," he said, looking over at her. She smiled.

"Seriously?"

"Yep," he said honestly, giving her a small smile. "Can you sing the rest of it?"

Madeline was about to say yes, but at that exact moment, ZigZag and Magnet came in, followed by Armpit, Squid, and X-Ray. Zero's attention quickly went back to the ceiling.

__

Song Credit: Michelle Branch - "Breathe"


	5. Chapter 4: Firecracker

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Chapter Four - Firecracker 

Later that evening, Madeline was curled up on her cot; once again absorbed in her work on the pad of paper. Every once in awhile she would look up at Zero, who was looking at his usual spot on the ceiling. 

"Hey guys... we gotta think of a nickname for Harris," ZigZag whispered to the rest of the group. They all nodded in agreement and looked over at her.

"How about lethal threat? She nearly killed me today... I tripped over her shovel...," Armpit said. Squid rolled his eyes.

"Hey yo, Harris! What's that say on your shirt?" X-Ray asked her. Madeline looked up for a minute and then down at her shirt. Zero's eyes moved from the ceiling over at her.

"'Firecracker Fastpitch Softball Tournament'," she read. "Why?"

X-Ray grinned and looked over at the other boys.

"No reason... Firecracker."

The boys started laughing and she rolled her eyes.

"Guess I got a nickname now, huh?" she murmured to no one in particular, and went back to her pad of paper. 

Zero stared at the ceiling.

***

The next morning went pretty much the same. Get up, get dressed, get shovel, get nasty tortilla, get out on the lake, get digging. It was like a constant, boring circle. 

Around lunch, Madeline was almost finished with her hole. Already very tired, she leaned up against the side of the hole, sweat trickling down her back.

She finally got enough strength to climb out of her hole and resumed her spot at the back of the line, behind Zero. 

"No, you go here now Firecracker," X-Ray said suddenly, pushing Zero out of the way and pulling her into his spot.

"Get off me," she said. He stared at her and went back to the beginning of the line. She looked back at Zero. He was staring at the ground. She sighed sadly and grabbed her lunch.

***

An hour later, Madeline was finished with her hole. The rest of the boys, except Zero, were still digging.

"Okay... what the crap? How can you be done already?!" ZigZag exclaimed, throwing down his shovel and climbing out of his hole. 

"Look, I dug the hole, okay? Get off my case."

"No - how can you be the fastest digger in our tent after being here only a week?"

"Excuse me, but I'm not."

"Zero isn't anyone. He's stupid and is only good for what he likes to do - digging holes."

She exploded. Before she knew it, ZigZag was on his back in the dirt, blood coming from his nose. 

"Don't call him stupid. He is not stupid. And if **you** weren't so stupid not to realize that, maybe you would be smart enough to accept that you aren't the only person here who can dig a fucking hole," she said slowly and dangerously. Spitting her in hole, she picked up her canteen and shovel, walking away, leaving ZigZag on the ground, staring at her angrily and the rest of the boys staring at her in shock.

***

Still radiating anger, Madeline stomped back to the compound, her almost-empty canteen banging against her right leg. 

"Call him stupid, my ass. He isn't stupid...," she whispered heatedly, kicking a rock into a nearby hole. 

Suddenly, she stopped. 

'Oh my God... what-what did I just do?!' she thought, slapping her hand to her mouth. 

***

"I can't believe that bitch..." ZigZag said, standing up with help from X-Ray.

"Hey - cool it. She's probably just pissed that she has to put up with us bagging on her all the time," he replied. 

"It's not my fault she's a... a girl!," ZigZag fumed. 

***

Madeline tiredly walked into D-Tent, still wondering what the hell she was thinking... punching ZigZag just because he called Zero stupid...

'You like him. You know you do - that's why you were willing to punch someone for insulting him,' the little voice inside her head whispered.

"Shut up... what do you know?" she growled. 

Zero looked up at the sound of a voice and saw Madeline, her face red. The set of her jaw told him that she was in a dangerous mood. 

Deciding not to bother, his gaze went back to the foot of the bed. She looked over at him, his calmness only worsening her mood. Fury coursing through her veins, she grabbed her canteen and threw it across the room. Hard.

Zero had never seen a girl throw that hard or that fast before.

__

"Softball. I played it all the time in Jr. High and my freshman year. I was the only freshman to make the varsity team because they thought I was that good," her voice echoed in his head. 

Madeline looked over at him again and saw his eyes staring at the ceiling but the look on his face told her that he was noticing her.

'That's what you what isn't it?' the voice sneered again. She angrily grabbed her clean jumpsuit and stormed out of the tent.

***

Later at dinner, Madeline had cooled down some. No such luck with ZigZag though...

"Dude she can't get away with something like this," he whispered, pointing at his nose, which was covered with a spotted-red handkerchief. 

"You gotta calm down, Zig. She's new, aiight?" X-Ray protested, poking through the glob of meat and gravy on his metal tray.

"That ain't no excuse," Armpit defended.

"Okay all of us gotta just shut up and deal with her. She probably just wants to prove herself to us," Squid said.

"Yeah either that or she's got the hots for Zero," Magnet said with a grin, looking over at him. They all laughed.

Madeline rolled her eyes. She knew they were talking about her. But she didn't care. She had something else on her mind right now... and it wasn't anything that had to do with anyone here...

***

Lying in bed that night, Zero found once again he couldn't sleep. He was unusually tired though. He had become so accustomed to being tired that the feeling soon left. But now he just felt so... worn out. 

He looked over at Madeline. She was sound asleep - her chest rising and falling rhythmically with her steady breathing.

He stared back up at the ceiling. He didn't really understand the feelings he was feeling for her. She was so... confusing. Maybe it was because she was a girl. Or maybe it was because she just was confusing.

Zero had heard the entire conversation that the rest of the group had at dinner. Through the talk around the camp, he had heard that Madeline punched ZigZag in the nose for saying something she didn't like... but that didn't match up with them saying she had the hots for him.

Nothing these days seemed to make sense. It was like ever since Madeline Harris arrived at Camp Green Lake everyone's world was turned upside down.

Sighing tiredly, he turned over and closed his eyes. 


	6. Chapter 5: Magnet's Letter

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Chapter Five - Magnet's Letter

The next morning, Madeline woke up to a very queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. When she went to stand up, she nearly fell over back onto her cot. 

Zero looked up when he saw her almost fall. She had her hand on her forehead, her face a light green-ish color.

'Should I say anything?' he wondered. She'd probably just get mad at him... but...

Before he could do anything else, Pendanski popped his head into the tent.

"Alright boys... and... Madeline... let's get going now!" he told them.

"Yo, Mom, her name's Firecracker," X-Ray corrected. Their counselor just shook his eyes and left the tent.

By this point, her queasiness had lessened and she was able to quickly change out of her t-shirt and shorts and into her jumpsuit.

***

By mid-morning, it was getting very hot and Madeline's queasiness had come back. The heat wasn't doing anything to help the roller coaster feeling in her stomach.

Sweat was trickling down her scalp and soaking her bandana that held her hair up, also soaking the back of her jumpsuit.

Groaning in frustration, she unbuttoned the jumpsuit and pulled it down to her waist, tying the sleeves around it, leaving the upper half of her body in just her tank top. 

Noon soon came and Mr. Sir came around with lunches.

"Ok come and get it! Ham and cheese, oranges, and graham crackers!"

"Why do we always have to get crackers?" Squid protested as he grabbed three of them. 

"Because you get enough already now eat and get back to digging," he barked. 

Madeline walked through the line, in front of ZigZag. When she went to turn around to go back to her hole, she tripped over something that just happened to be his foot and fell onto the hard ground, ripping her elbow against it.

"Dammit ZigZag!" she screeched, standing up, her hand covering her elbow. Blood was starting to come through her fingers. ZigZag just laughed at her, along with Squid and Magnet. Armpit and X-Ray knew better than to laugh and Zero didn't think it was funny at all. 

Cursing under her breath and glaring at the blonde-haired boy, she angrily grabbed her lunch and returned to her hole. Madeline's elbow was still bleeding pretty badly.

Sighing, she used her good arm to take of her tank top and wrapped it around her elbow, leaving the upper part of her body in just a black sports bra. Magnet whistled from his hole.

"Shove it, Magnet, or I'll make your eyes swell up so bad it'll hurt to see anything," she said angrily over her shoulder. Standing up and grabbing her shovel, she learned that it hurt her elbow like hell to dig. Thankfully, she was almost done.

'I'm gonna kill that bastard...,' she thought, looking over at ZigZag, who was still snickering.

***

Later that night, the tent was in different places around the Wreck room when Pendanski came in with a letter.

"José, you have a letter," he said, handing him the envelope. Magnet's eyes widened with surprise.

"Um... thanks," he said, opening it. The tent crowded around him.

"Hey, hey back off," he said, pulling out the letter. He read it, once, twice, three times. Each time it said the same thing

__

Dear José,

I know I haven't written you since you got to camp... I'm really sorry. I've been busy and I know that's not an excuse but life without you is like torture for me. Mom's unemployed again and we're always fighting. Usually it's about food and rent. We're just barely getting by. I didn't write to complain - that's the last thing I want you to worry about. I got a job at a Mickey D's on the other side of town and it'll hopefully help with the rent. Ariella is fine, she's as hyper as ever. She misses you too. She keeps saying "When is Uncle José coming home?". I keep telling her that you'll be coming home soon and trying to make my heart believe it too. But the truth is, it seems like you've been gone for twice as long as you have to stay there. 

Well... I have to get ready for work. I'm sure if Mom and I were talking she'd send her love. Ariella and I both miss you... and I love you. Please never give up on that fact. I'll love you forever and that's how long I'll stand by your side.

All the love in the universe,

- Lizzy 

Magnet sighed and walked out of the Wreck Room. No one followed him. And he was glad.

For the past five months that he had been here, he had always thought about her. Lizzy was the strongest person he knew yet the tearstains were still on the letter. Ariella, her little sister, was only six and was too little to understand what had happened to "Uncle José". 

He had changed so much in so little time. But his heart still held on to his Lizzy, his angel.

*~*

Thanks bunches and clams on toast to my loyal reviewers!

****

AriellaRose

KaTe-2689

duckysmilez

x0xTrinityx0x 

R&R!!! ^_^


	7. Chapter 6: The Picture

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MUCHO IMPORTANTE NOTICE: I just discovered that it was set in my settings so I couldn't accept anonymous reviews - well I fixed that. So now you don't have to be a member of FF.Net to give me a review. So keep 'em coming! :P :D

Chapter Six - The Picture

Madeline woke up the next morning with, thankfully, no queasiness that had ailed her the day before. But her elbow stilled ached painfully. She had to sleep on only her right side all night, something that was very uncomfortable to do on such an already uncomfortable cot.

Zero had watched her for most of the night. Every so often she would fidget, gripping her badly bandaged elbow. He felt sorry for her. It wasn't her fault ZigZag was being a jerk. 

He looked over at him. The blonde boy was laughing about something with Squid and Armpit. His gaze turned back over to Madeline as he laced up his boots.

She seemed so unbreakable on the outside. Her eyes never met those feelings, if you even took the time to look into their deep emerald pools. They were a mixture that he couldn't seem to figure out, but he desperately wanted to. 

'What am I thinking?!,' he thought. He shook his head and followed the others outside.

***

ZigZag and Madeline didn't say a word or even look in each other's direction all morning while digging. They were both still mad, Zig at her for punching him and Madeline at him for tripping her.

By the time Pendanski came around with lunches, Zig was complaining yet again about how quick she was digging.

"Ok, Firecracker, seriously!" he exclaimed, grabbing a sandwich. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't start Zig. I'm a quick digger - plain and simple," she spat and walked back to her hole.

***

Madeline tiredly stumbled into the tent, cradling her elbow and nearly tripping yet again over her own feet.

She coughed up dust as she grabbed her swimsuit that she took a shower with. Suddenly, a thick wave of dizziness passed over her and she knelt down on the floor, holding her head in her hands, moaning softly.

A hand started rubbing her back, helping her tense muscles to relax. It took a minute or two, but the dizziness soon left. She looked up to see Zero standing beside her.

"Thanks," she said meekly. He nodded and laid down on his cot, staring at the ceiling.

Madeline walked out of the tent to get her shower.

***

ZigZag, Magnet, and Squid were just coming back from digging when Madeline was walking back from her shower, her orange jumpsuit with the sleeves tied around her waist and her bikini top on.

Squid whistled and Magnet started laughing. She rolled her eyes and pushed in front of them to get to the tent. Magnet spotted a dark spot on her lower back.

"Hey chica, what's that thing on your back?" he asked. Zero's eyes cautiously moved from the ceiling over to Madeline who was drying her hair with her towel.

She looked down at her back and grinned slightly.

"A tattoo," she said coyly, moving the sleeves of the orange material so they could all see the red rose tattooed perfectly on her skin. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. Zero also noticed she had a belly button ring, a tiny silver stud.

"So have you perverts had your share for the day or am I going to have to do a striptease for y'all too?" she said sarcastically, throwing a white tank top over her bikini top. Squid snorted. She smiled.

"Thought so. Now get your damn minds outta the fucking gutter, PLEASE!" 

***

Later, all the boys, including Zero, had wandered off to the Wreck Room, leaving Madeline alone in the tent. But she didn't mind this time.

"Almost done...," she said to herself. She finally placed the pencil down and blew lightly against the paper, brushing all the eraser shavings off. Holding the pad up, she looked at her work.

"Eh, it'll do," she said with a cocky grin. But inside a bubbling feeling was overcoming her.

***

Dinner had come and gone and the boys had returned to the Wreck Room and other tents. Madeline had challenged A-tent to a game of pool against her and the rest of the tent. Zero had opted out.

He was about to lie down on his cot when he saw a folded piece of paper lying against the scratchy sheets. Curiously, he picked it up and opened it. He gasped.

It was a picture of him. But it was more than a picture, it was a drawing. Perfectly drawn out and expressing every detail of his face, an angry and set jaw, round eyes, and his curly hair. From the way it was drawn, it showed him lying on his cot. But instead of him looking at the ceiling he was looking straight ahead in it. 

There was some writing in the margin and the corner, but Zero couldn't read. It was one of the disappointing parts of his childhood - never being able to go to school. 

He looked at the picture one more time, smiling to himself before folding it up and putting it in his crate.

***

Madeline chewed on her fingernail anxiously all through the counseling session, keeping her eyes on the floor.

'Why did I have to sign my name in the corner? Why?! God I'm so stupid... he's going to think I'm crazy. I belong with ZigZag...,' she thought angrily.

"Yo Firecracker, you coming?"

Her head snapped up to see Armpit staring at her strangely. Everyone else was walking out the door. She stood up and followed them.

Later that night, her thoughts about the picture she had drawn had not subsided. She turned over on her cot, a shot of pain cutting through her elbow.

"Damn," she whispered. Zero's eyes opened. She was too occupied in her elbow to notice. She laid back down and stared at the ceiling. 

"I'm God if I get any sleep tonight," she said quietly to herself, and walked out of the tent. 

Zero quietly got out of his cot, grabbed the picture from his crate, and followed her.

***

Madeline sat down in the dusty dirt a couple yards away from the tent. She looked up. There weren't any stars tonight. She sighed and ran a tired hand through her brown hair.

"Want some company?"

She turned around and saw Zero standing a few feet away from her. Her attention was soon fixed on the folded up piece of paper in his left hand.

She merely nodded and turned back around. He sat down beside her. They just sat that way in silence, for what seemed like an eternity, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular.

"You're a really good artist," Zero finally said, unfolding the picture. She smiled.

"T-Thanks. I didn't think it was that great but...," she stopped and felt her cheeks growing red.

'Thank God for darkness,' she thought, biting her lip.

"I thought it was really good," he said, looking at her. She smiled again.

"I've been drawing since I've been able to hold a pencil," she said softly. "It's the only thing besides music that just... I dunno... sets me free."

Zero nodded, understanding. Silence overcame them again.

"We should probably be getting back," Madeline said, looking over at Zero. She suddenly noticed how deep his eyes were. They were filled with sadness and anger and every single emotion you could think of that damages a sixteen-year-old. 

"Yeah," he said, smiling a little.

"You know you should do that more often," she stated, standing up.

"Do what?"

"Smile," she said plainly. "You look so amazing when you smile. It's a shame you don't do it that often."

His smile faded.

"Usually there's nothing worth smiling about," he said softly, turning around and walking back into the tent.

Madeline felt her heart break for Zero. She looked up at the starless sky and sighed. He was right. Around here there wasn't anything worth smiling about.

Usually.

*~*

Thanks to all my wonderfulish reviewers!! R&R! ^_^


	8. Chapter 7: You Don't Own Me

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Chapter Seven - You Don't Own Me

It had been almost a week since Zero and Madeline had talked that night outside the tent. She would sometimes feel someone's eyes on her back from his direction but when she turned around he wasn't looking at her. And no one else was around him.

Her feelings for him were a complete haze of confusion. Her head was telling her to stop a disaster before it started, her past love life turning out to be much more than that. But her heart was pressing against that barrier that was made from that much-more-than-a-disaster-disaster. 

The bugle sounded at four o' clock, awakening Madeline from a restless sleep. She groaned inwardly and grabbed her bandana from its spot on her wooden crate and pulled on a boot.

While she and the boys were walking out onto the lake, she was overcome by a strong wave of nausea and dizziness. She took a couple deep breaths and slowly walked along, trying not to faint from the burning in her stomach.

'It's not burning,' the voice in her head sneered.

'Shut ya trap...,' she said back to it in her mind. 'I mus be going crazy...'

Zero watched her close her eyes, still walking. She felt the sense that someone was watching her and she snapped them open. But yet again, he wasn't looking at her.

'You wish he was.'

'Goddammit, SHUT UP!'

***

Madeline groaned heavily as she heard the water truck approaching. Her hole was almost done and she felt like she couldn't bear enough energy to climb out of it.

"Need some help?" a voice asked. She looked up and saw Zero, stretching his hand out to her. She gave him a small smile and accepted it. A spark of electricity went through both of them, but hid the fact that they felt something. 

He pulled her up and they got into the line. Everyone got their canteen's filled and Madeline sat at the edge of her hole. She took a swig of water and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

She finished her hole around the same time Zero did. ZigZag's eyes widened with anger to the size of dinner plates but he said nothing as she passed. Zero waited for her to catch up and walked with her. Truth be told, he had purposely dug slower today so he could walk back with her. She suspected this, but brushed it off quickly. He could never like her.

Could he?

***

Later that night, she lay awake again, her thoughts jumbled up and not letting her sleep. She was so unbelievably tired, though. She sighed, exhausted, and turned over.

__

***Madeline's Dream/Flashback***

Her body tensed up, hearing his footsteps nearing the door. He opened it, coming in, and then slamming it. She didn't move from her spot on the couch, her feet tucked up underneath her. 

From the way he was moving around, she could tell he wasn't drunk and most certainly wasn't stoned. She wasn't sure which was safer.

"Where'd you go today?" he asked suddenly. She shifted and looked at him.

"No where. I hung around here all day."

He stared at her, long and hard. His gray eyes were fixed on her, making her feel trapped. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up quickly and grabbed the other wrist.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he whispered threateningly. She stared back at him, cold and hard.

"I. Am. Not. Lying," she said, stressing every syllable. 

"You've done it before."

"That was once."

"It still counted."

"Why are you acting like you own me?!" she raved, trying to pull away from his grasp unsuccessfully.

"Someone's gotta watch you... you don't have anyone else."

"YOU DON'T OWN ME!" she shouted, and yanked herself away from him. He grabbed her again, this time ensuring bruises where his hands rested.

"LIKE HELL I DON'T!" he shouted back and then slapped her across the face.

***End Dream/Flashback***

Madeline woke up, shaking violently, her breath coming in desperate gasps. The brunette sat up on her cot. She felt hot tears splashing down her cheeks, making her shake even harder.

"Madeline, are you okay?" Zero asked. He was just a half a foot away from her, concern etched into his face. She couldn't find her voice and just nodded.

"B-B-Bad dr-dream," she stammered and gave him a weak smile. He didn't return it. 

"You were talking in your sleep."

"What? What did I say?"

"You said 'That was only once' and kept saying 'no, no, no,' over and over again."

She froze and suddenly felt very cold. Zero placed his hand on top of her's gently. Another surge of electricity went through her, warming her instantly.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're scaring me," he said quietly. She looked down at their hands briefly and then back at his brown eyes. 

"Y-Yes... I'm ok. You don't have to worry about me, Zero. I'm perfectly fine," she reassured him. His face said that he didn't believe her, but he nodded and walked back over to his cot and crawled into it. Her hand immediately felt cold without his touch. She sighed a shuddery sigh and just slid back under the sheet, trying to get some sleep before the bugle sounded again.

***New York City***

"Come on Anna... we gotta get this done tonight!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Sheesh, don't pull a Madeline on me."

***

Another day, another hole. The next day had passed by in a blur for Madeline, nightfall coming quickly. Zero had waited for her again to finish digging. That was pretty much the highlight of her day.

It was about half an hour before lights out, so she decided to take a walk, wanting to clear her head. 

She had soon lost track of time, though. Soon it was dark and she was still walking around. Madeline saw a small shape coming towards her. Once it got close enough, she recognized it as Zero.

"Hey... what are you doing out here?" she asked him, happy for some company.

"The guys were playing poker and they sent me to come get you. To tell you the truth I was kinda happy to... X and Armpit started fighting when I left."

She smiled, all her perfect teeth showing, making him smile back. The brunette sat down on the dirt, her feet dangling down into a nearby hole. She motioned for him to sit down beside her and he did. 

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened to you if you hadn't been sent here?" she asked him. He shrugged.

"I don't know. I probably would of just done the same stuff I did before I came," he said softly, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah... me too," she said. Zero looked at her, their eyes locking. She bit her lip nervously, not really knowing what to do. 

'Just let your heart take over for once,' she thought. He was still staring at her. Before either one of them had a chance to think, they were leaning in, their lips finally meeting. The kiss lasted for about three seconds before they broke apart, astonished at what they had just done.

"I'm sorry," Zero said. She shook her head.

"I'm not," she said truthfully, giving him a small smile. They leaned in again and kissed, this time longer. 

Finally breaking apart, Madeline pushed a strand of hair beside her ear. 

"We should be getting back," she said. "I personally don't want the rest of them to come looking for us."

He smiled and helped her stand up. They walked back to camp in silence, their hands interwoven together. 

*~*

OOOO OOOO OOO THEY KISSED! Happy now Lizzy? :P Hehehe... I also left a lil cliffhanger in there... didja catch it? I know I'm so mean... mwuahahahahhahahahahahhahahaha!!! 

R&R!!! ^_^


	9. Chapter 8: Meeting The Warden

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Chapter Eight - Meeting The Warden

Madeline lay on her cot the next afternoon, playing with her belly button ring and staring at the ceiling. She had already taken her shower and decided it was too hot to change out of the bikini top.

'Besides, they'd better get used to it. Summer's just warming up - no pun intended,' she thought with a wry laugh.

"What's so funny?" Zero asked as he walked into the tent. She looked up at him.

"Nothing. Just thinking. You know how that's like dontcha?" she said, sitting up. He sat down beside her.

"Yeah I guess."

"The first thing you ever said to me was that you thought everyone else thought you were stupid."

"I don't think it - I know it."

Her thoughts went back to when ZigZag called him stupid and she had punched him in the nose. 

"I'm not stupid. I just... don't like answering stupid questions," he said, staring at the wall of the tent. Madeline pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and studied him. He seemed so different from all the others. They were all high-strung and just plain jerks. But Zero was... Zero.

"Zero isn't your real name, is it?" she asked suddenly. He smiled.

"No. My name's Hector. Hector Zeroni," he said. She grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before he could react.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Hector," she said softly, still smiling. "I'm gonna head to the Wreck Room, you coming?"

***

Later that night at the counseling session, Madeline and Zero sat beside each other. No one noticed and they were perfectly fine with that.

"Now I think that since we have Madeline here now that we should get to know one another a little better. We're going to talk about our families tonight," Mom said. "Rex, why don't you go first."

"Umm... I lived with my step-mom and my dad. Mom died when I was too little to remember. I have a big sister, her name's Rachel... that's pretty much it," X-Ray said. Pendanski nodded.

"Madeline - how about you?"

The brunette shifted in her seat and looked at the ceiling in thought.

"My dad ran out on my mom after he found out he knocked her up... so I never met him and frankly, I don't give a damn if he's alive or dead. I hated my mom. I have a little half-sister and we had a dog named Bam. My sister thought of the name. Personally, I thought it was stupid. Bam was a good dog though. Dunno what happened to him. Ran away from home when I was 13. Who knows what happened to Mom and my sister."

Zero looked at Madeline, who was now staring angrily at the ground. Pendanski looked uncomfortable.

"Alright... how about you Alan?"

***

Her heart felt so heavy as she stared up at the starry sky. Talking about her past had never been this hard to do. Maybe it was because Zero was there. Maybe she was embarrassed about her "family" and thought he would think differently of her. Maybe she just was finally feeling the past three years away from home catching up with her.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and closed her eyes; taking a deep, long breath. Her little sister as she remembered her flashed through her mind. It was of the last time she saw her. Madeline had run away that night and she wanted to kiss her goodnight. Her blonde hair had been pushed back into a messy ponytail, forgotten to be taken down as she laid curled up in the sheets in the room she shared with her half-sister. 

__

"Goodbye 'lil sis. Don't grow up too fast, okay?" she had whispered to the ten-year-old. She sighed and placed a kiss on her small forehead. "And don't make the same mistakes I'll probably end up or have made."

By the next morning she was halfway to Chicago.

"Don't grow up too fast," she whispered, feeling hot tears press against her closed eyelids. She forced them back and stood up, walking back into the tent.

***

Zero wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He grabbed his canteen and took a quick drink. Before grabbing his shovel, he looked over at Madeline, a couple holes over.

She looked up at the same moment and instantly gave him a small smile, looking around at the others. He returned it and got back to work.

Around noon, Mr. Sir came around with lunches. He stopped Madeline after she grabbed hers.

"The warden wants to see you. I'm supposed to drive you back to camp after you finish eating," he said gruffly. Her eyebrow rose in suspicion and confusion. She looked over at Zero, who looked just as confused as she did.

She finished her lunch and grabbed her shovel and canteen. Mr. Sir told her to get in the cab of the truck. She did.

Soon they were back at camp, pretty much deserted considering everyone was out on the lake. Madeline had never seen it this way. She followed Mr. Sir up to the Warden's cabin and watched him knock. The door open almost immediately, revealing, to Madeline's surprise, a young woman with red hair and freckles covering any part of her skin that wasn't hidden by her jeans, boots, and tank top. 

"Come in, Firecracker. Mr. Sir, you can return to the others," she ordered. The sixteen-year-old's eyebrows rose in deep suspicion. How did she know her nickname?

She walked inside. The room was air conditioned, thank God. A television sat on a rickety table in a corner of the room with a worn old couch in front of it. A coffee table sat in between the couch and television.

"Well now... I can't say we've ever had a girl here before," the Warden commented in the same words Mr. Sir had, standing a few feet away from Madeline. "I'm sure it's been stressed that you don't get anything extra just because of that, am I correct?"

She nodded, still not saying a word to the woman. The brunette most certainly hadn't trust anyone in this flea motel and she wasn't about to start.

Well... except Zero. She smiled in her head at the thought, but her lips on the outside stayed in a firm, straight line.

The Warden's eyes moved from her to the clock on the wall. 

"I'd imagine you're almost done with your hole so you can go back to your tent," she said. Madeline nodded and walked out of the cabin. She hadn't said a single word the whole time.

***

"What did the Warden want with ya, Firecracker?" Magnet asked later as they all were back in the tent. She shrugged.

"I dunno. Just wanted to see me for herself," she said, not really thinking anything of it. ZigZag snorted. "What's your problem?" she asked, annoyed.

"Well she don't need to get you outta digging your hole just to see you."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Madeline asked, sitting up from her position of lying on her stomach. 

"The Warden's got the whole placed bugged. She's got microphones and cameras everywhere," said ZigZag, his crazy hair suddenly seeming crazier. "You can't do anything here without her knowing."

She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Like I believe anything _you_ say," she said, rolling back onto her stomach. 

***

Later, Madeline and Zero once again were sitting outside the tent while everyone else was asleep. They didn't have to talk, they just sat there and looked at the stars, and occasionally at each other. 

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked out of the blue. He looked over at her.

"No," he said quietly. "Just my mom."

"You were probably lucky. I love my sis and all, but sometimes she got so annoying. And my mom and I never really got along at all. Most of the time I only saw her at dinner if I was lucky. She worked 16 hours a day at the local hospital, usually the night shift," she said. Suddenly her voice got soft and she sighed sadly. "Sometimes I wondered if she even brought half of the money she earned home."

Zero looked at her again. "What do you mean?"

"My mom did drugs. It wasn't like she was an addict or anything... but when she was really stressed out or when we were having enough problems with money as it was, she would buy drugs. I saw her buying from one of the street dealers once," she said softly. He looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry."

She smiled. "It's not your fault. She had her problems. Everyone does, right?"

"Yeah."

They sat in another round of silence before it was broken, this time by Zero.

"When did you start drawing?"

She thought for a minute. "When I was six... or seven. Before I got involved in softball when I got into the sixth grade I didn't really have anything to do besides taking care of my sister. So I just picked up a pencil one day and just... drew. Then it wasn't really anything serious, you know? Just like trees and houses. But one day my sister found a picture I had done of her from a photograph and she got all excited. She basically was what got me started drawing more seriously."

"That's cool."

"Yeah... after I got into softball I wasn't around much anymore. I think she missed me until she got older and we had begun to hate each other," Madeline said.

"Do you miss her?" Zero asked. Her face fell and she shrugged.

"Sometimes. But I just keep thinking she's better off without me," she said. With that, she stood up and walked back into the tent.

*~*

The only thing you peeps can do to make me update is review! So press that lil button and do it! :P ^_^


	10. Chapter 9: Dreams

A/N: This chapter goes out to the wonderful Elizzybeth who has put up with me over the past... ummm... weeks and all that good stuff. MWUAH! ^_^

Enjoy! ;-)

Chapter Nine - Dreams

Madeline rubbed her aching shoulders. She kept having "the dream" last night after talking with Zero and kept turning over in her sleep.

Now they all were standing in line for the sad excuse for a breakfast. And she was trying to rub both shoulders and hold her shovel at the same time. 

'God I must be a lovely sight to see this early in the morning,' she thought and yawned. She finally gave up on her shoulders, grabbed a tortilla from the pile, and followed the others out towards the lake.

Looking ahead she saw Zero's back among the rest of the boys and ran up a ways and grabbed his arm.

"Hey... I'm sorry I walked out on you last night I guess... I just don't like talking about my family," she said uneasily, keeping her voice low as she walked.

"I understand and it's okay. From the way it sounded, they were a lot to deal with," he said. She nodded. 

"You know... I was actually kind of jealous of you... I mean... you only had your mom and from the way it sounds you two got along pretty well," she said, rubbing her neck sheepishly. 

"You were jealous of me? Why?" he asked, astounded that she could be jealous of him. She shrugged.

"You never had to deal with all the stuff and the problems my mom and family had. I mean... yeah it must have been really tough for you guys but... you had a mother that loved you. Some days I wasn't even sure mine did," she said softly, drifting back to a distant memory.

__

"Madeline Alexa Harris, get your ass down here right now!" Pauline Harris screeched from the foot of the stairs. A twelve year-old girl with shoulder length brown hair came down the stairs, a look of anger and irritation etched into her young face.

"What, Mom?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I just got off the phone with your principal. You skipped school again today, didn't you?"

"What does it matter?!" she groaned angrily. Her mother stiffened.

"It matters because if you ain't at school you're on the streets probably selling crack or even worse, shooting it up!"

"Oh give it up, Mom! I know you do drugs - I've seen you out on the streets buying off of B.B. Jackson! If you don't want me on the streets, that's one thing but accusing me of doing crack when you are?! You're a total hypocrite!" she screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. Pauline stared at her for a long time before turning on her heel and walking into the kitchen, slamming the door behind her. 

Madeline sighed and rubbed her forehead. Even at that time she felt closer to her mother than how she had felt the night she ran away. And now she didn't care. She didn't care one bit.

***

"So what else do you like to do besides drawing?"

"Singing. And dancing... sort of. I haven't in a long time. Singing's more my thing. What about you? You gotta have something you like to do."

Zero shrugged.

"Not really."

They were just lying there on their cots, staring at the ugly green tarp of a ceiling and talking. This was the only time they could without everyone eavesdropping. Night was okay, but the lack of sleep was catching up on her.

Madeline studied Zero for a minute. He was about half an inch shorter than her, maybe a little more. She had never taken a good look at him before. Right now he looked contented, but that would change as soon as the guys came in and ended the time they had to talk.

"Where are we going?" she asked suddenly. He looked over at her strangely.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged.

"I mean... 'us'. 'Cause... I like you... a lot. But... I've been hurt a good number of times in the past three years... and I don't want it to happen again," she said, her face growing red with embarrassment. "God, I'm gonna die now."

He smiled.

"No you won't. And I like you, too. I don't want to hurt you," he said truthfully. She grinned.

"Thanks," she said, still smiling at him. He smirked.

"No problem."

She laughed.

***

"Anna... God, COME ON! We can't waste anymore time on this."

"Calm down - you're gonna make me screw up!"

"Just hurry..."

***

__

"Maddie... where are you going?"

"Shhh... I'm going out."

"Why? Mama's gonna be so mad at you."

"And that's exactly why you're not gonna tell her."

"But what if she comes in? What do I tell her?"

Madeline sighed, annoyed.

"Tell her I went over to Ivy's. She hasn't seen me tonight so she wouldn't know."

"Okay. I love you Maddie."

She gave her baby sister a smile and gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

"I love you too, sis."

Madeline woke up, her body drenched in cold sweat. Her breathing was heavy and she was shaking. She rubbed her forehead unconsciously. Why was she dreaming about her again? What was this supposed to mean?

*~*

Review pweese!! :D


	11. Chapter 10: Now Or Never

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!! Keep reviewing!!! ^_^

Sorry if this is kinda short... Enjoy! :-P

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Chapter 10 - Now Or Never

Madeline's thoughts were still on her dream as she dug her hole the next day. She didn't know why, but it seemed like a sign that something was going to happen. Maybe not to her sister, but to someone close to her... someone like her.

She sighed and wiped her forehead. Shoveling another pile of dirt, she looked over at Zero, who wasn't looking in her direction. Cocking her head, she looked at him. His face looked blank and emotionless. It was probably how he got through digging so much. 

__

He's a smart kid if that's true... smarter than anyone else knows, she thought.

***

Later that afternoon, Zero and Madeline talked while lying on their respective cots, cherishing the time they had to just talk until the others got done digging. As much as they wouldn't admit it to one another, that time was what they looked forward to all day.

"Favorite color."

"Light blue."

"Dark blue."

Madeline looked over at him and stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Light blue's better."

He stuck his tongue back out at her.

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Oh, for the love of Orlando Bloom! Let's agree to disagree," Madeline said with a smile, giving up. He smirked.

"I won," Zero said. She stared at him for a second, her head cocked to the left. Suddenly, she got up and walked over to his cot, knelt down, leaned over him for a fraction of a second, and then kissed him. At first, he was shocked, but kissed her back.

After about five seconds, she broke it. Still kneeling beside the cot, she smirked.

"No... I think I won."

***

__

Three? No... four. Yeah, four.

That's what Zero was thinking about all through digging the next day. Well, not completely on the number of kisses he and Madeline had shared, but about _her._ There was so much more to her than everyone saw. To the rest of them, they just saw her as a tough girl who just stole a car for fun. But there seemed to be more than that... something a little below the surface. He didn't know why... but he wanted to find out what it was. 

***

__

"Someday... somehow, I'm gonna make it alright but not right now. I know you're wondering when. Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright but not right now... I know you're wondering when..."

"You're a really beautiful singer, you know that?" Zero commented, walking into the tent as Madeline lay worn out on her cot, singing softly to herself. She forced a smile.

"You caught me again...," she said tiredly. She yawned and winced as she felt her muscles in her back tighten. He looked over at her strangely.

"You okay?" he asked. She nodded and rubbed her back.

"I'm good... just a little tired... that's all," she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Just go to sleep... I'll wake you up before dinner," Zero said. 

She was already asleep.

***

Anna hurriedly grabbed the bag, tossing the empty one to Lorelei. 

__

We have to get this done tonight, she thought. _Like Madeline always said, now or never._

***

"Madeline... hey... Madeline - wake up," Zero said, shaking her gently. The brunette opened her eyes lazily and saw that the tent was once again empty.

"Where is everyone?"

"Already at dinner. We'd better get to the Mess Hall," he answered. She nodded and stood up, only to fall into Zero's arms, completely unconscious.

__

Song Credit - "Someday" by Nickelback

*~*

Ooooo! Cliffyhanger!!! :-P Review please!!! :-D


	12. Chapter 11: Revelations

****

Chapter 11 - Revelations

__

"Where is everyone?"

"Already at dinner. We'd better get to the Mess Hall," he answered. She nodded and stood up, only to fall into Zero's arms, completely unconscious.

'Oh sh*t,' Zero thought as he caught Madeline before she hit the ground. She was so light... 

Afraid to leave her, he sat on the wood floor stroking her hair back gently. Finally, after 10 minutes that seemed like 10 hours, her green eyes opened. She groaned and shut them again. Her eyes squeezed shut and her face was twisted with pain.

"Madeline... hey come on stay with me," Zero coaxed her. Her eyes opened up. They were glazed over.

"I could never leave you," she mumbled, her eyes drooping again. His eyebrows rose. Had she really just said that.

"I'm so tired...," she muttered. Her eyes were closed again. It took a second for him to find his voice again.

"Just go back to sleep, Madeline. I'll save some dinner for you."

"Don't bother... that stuff's... f*ckin' crap...," she said with a yawn and fell asleep. He smirked. She was right.

He gently picked her up off the floor and placed her on her cot. _She's so light..._

***

Madeline woke up later that evening to find everyone in their beds and talking. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. They didn't notice she had woken up. Her eyes shifted over to the cot adjacent to her's. Zero was lying on his side, his back facing her.

"Zero...," she whispered tiredly. He quickly turned over. The brunette gave him a weak smile and tried to sit up. "What happened?"

"I came to wake you up for dinner and you passed out again. You woke up for awhile but you went back to sleep. Oh and you called our dinner 'f*ckin' crap' too," he said with a smile. She laughed. 

"Yeah that sounds like something I'd say."

There was a silence for awhile before a voice from over on the other side of the tent rose.

"Hey Firecracker! You're awake!" Magnet yelled in her direction.

"Gee, you're a real Einstein," she said sarcastically. Zero smirked. She was back to normal again.

***

The next morning Madeline felt as fine as she did any other morning. Her appetite, which obviously hadn't been very big the previous evening, was back and she ate the repulsive honey tortilla.

"You feeling better?" Zero asked her as they walked out towards the lake. 

"Yeah... I'm still not fully used to this, I guess," she said. She darted a sideways glance in his direction. "You're helping though."

"You serious?" he asked her. She nodded.

"You're pretty much the only person who doesn't see me as being an underage slut," she said wryly, looking pointedly in ZigZag's direction.

***

Her elbow had scabbed nicely over the past few days and she was able to dig like everyone else again. She was still mad at ZigZag for it though.

A little before noon, she decided that he seriously had some problems with her.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's impossible that a _girl_ can dig faster than all of us guys? Well not Zero, but he doesn't count," he baited her. She glared over at him.

"F*ck you, ZigZag. And just so you know, I'm sure a girl can beat _you_ at anything," she said angrily, grabbing her canteen and taking a drink before returning to digging. The other boys snickered. He rolled his eyes.

***

Anna glared at the brick wall ahead of her. She had been arrested. _Arrested_. This wasn't fair. Lorelei was supposed to be in this smelly jail cell in San Antonio with her, but she managed to get away. Someone, probably someone in their own group, had tipped the police about the plans for the night before.

"I hate my life," she muttered, kicking the metal frame of the chair she was sitting on with her heel angrily. 

"And it's all that bitch's fault."

***

Madeline stared at the tarp ceiling of D-tent once again. Her hands were laced on her bare stomach. She had become accustomed to just wearing her bikini top and having the ugly orange jumpsuit sleeves tied around her waist after getting her shower each afternoon until she went to bed each night. 

"You wanna talk?" Zero asked, not diverting his own eyes from the ceiling. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I just think ZigZag's an ass and is really wanting to royally tick me off."

"Yeah, he is an ass. But you shouldn't let him get to you."

"Yeah I know, but ugh! He's so annoying," she said angrily, looking over at him. He smiled.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked. He looked over at her.

"You."

Madeline rolled her eyes.

"Wow Zero, I couldn't figure that out myself," she said sarcastically, but with a smile. She sat up and rubbed her neck. "D*mn I can't wait until I get to sleep in a real bed again..."

"How long are you here for?" Zero asked her. 

"20 months. You?"

"18, but I've been here for two already. So 16."

She nodded and looked at her feet.

"Do you have any family back home?" she asked softly. Zero almost didn't hear her. She saw his face harden. 

"No," he said quietly, staringly at the ceiling again.

"I'm sorry," she said. The brunette walked over to his cot and sat down. "If it makes you feel any better... I don't either."

He sat up. "Yeah I know." She shrugged.

"I'm not even sure where I'm gonna go when I get out of here," she said, playing with one of the orange sleeves resting on her leg. She smiled weakly at him. "I guess I'm just... I don't know..."

He smiled back. "We can be 'I don't knows' together."

Madeline's face broke out in a grin. 

"I'd like that," she said quietly, still smiling. His brown eyes broke contact with her's and glanced down at her lips. Before they knew it, their lips connected. Zero's hand moved to her cheek and one of her's to his chest. 

Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence.

"Holy f*ckin' HELL!"

***

Somehow, the police office had managed to get a same-day trial for Anna. How they did this was beyond her, but within the next seven hours, 35 hours after she had been arrested, she was sitting in the courtroom waiting for a judge to give her sentence.

"Anneliese Harris, you have been charged and found guilty of grand theft. Your sentence is 15 months at Camp Green Lake, a correctional facility for troubled youth like yourself."

She rolled her eyes. Oh great. A camp with a green lake. Whoop dee doo. 


	13. Chapter 12: The New Arrival

****

Chapter 12: The New Arrival

__

"I'd like that," she said quietly, still smiling. His brown eyes broke contact with her's and glanced down at her lips. Before they knew it, their lips connected. Zero's hand moved to her cheek and one of her's to his chest. 

Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence.

"Holy f*ckin' HELL!"

Madeline jumped back and looked at the person who had interrupted them. If Zero hadn't recognized ZigZag's voice, the expression on her face would've said it all.

"Well now isn't this just a nice little thing you two got going on here...," he taunted, obviously thinking of ways he could use this against them, or more _her_. 

"Go to hell, ZigZag. No one ever said I can't kiss anyone without _your_ permission," she spat. He laughed at her.

"Oh wait 'till the guys hear this...," he mused. She laughed sarcastically.

"Very funny, go tell them for all I care. They can't do a thing about it," she said angrily. Adding a finishing touch to her statement, she flipped him off and stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her and stomped out of the tent.

"Sorry if I sounded kinda... ehhh," she said to Zero, who was still sitting silently beside her, her cheeks growing red. He smiled.

"Nah it's okay. What you said was true though, they can't do anything."

She smiled back.

***

By the next morning, half the camp knew about the Firecracker/Zero pairing. Madeline could care less that she was getting weird stares from the other guys and Zero never did care anyway.

"You'd think they'd never seen a guy and a girl together before," she thought outloud as she sat on the edge of Zero's hole as they ate their lunches that day. His mouth full of bologna sandwich, he nodded.

"I think being here in the middle of nowhere for so long is getting to them," he said after he swallowed. She laughed.

Suddenly Madeline realized something. She was laughing so much more now that she was here. Or more like here with Zero. 

***

Anna groaned as they went over bump on the dirt road. They had been traveling for over six hours and she was starting to get a skin rash from the handcuffs that she was in. She looked outside the dirt-encrusted window. So far all she could see was sand and dirt and rocks. And holes.

Wait! Back it up a second, HOLES?! She tried to look over the bar that separated the sides of the window. It too was covered in a sickening amount of sand and dirt. 

"I'd better not be digging no f*cking holes," she thought.

***

Everyone was in the tent talking when Pendanski came in. 

"Yo Mom, what's shakin'?" Armpit asked. The counselor rolled his eyes.

"This tent is getting a new cot is what's shakin'," he said. 

"We're getting another guy in here?" X-Ray asked. Pendanski nodded.

"Only it's not a guy. It's a girl."

***

At last, the dirty bus screeched to halt in the middle of a cluster of cabins. Anna muttered a 'thank God' under her breath as the guard removed her handcuffs. She grabbed her backpack and followed the guard off the bus and into the harsh afternoon sunlight.

***

"A girl?"

"Another one?"

"Jesu Cristo, Firecracker's enough!" Magnet said loudly amongst all the other whispering in the tent. Madeline too seemed angry. Zero found this a little amusing that she was feeling threatened by another girl arriving. He smiled at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked, seeing him smirk. 

"You," he replied. "You don't want another girl here - I can tell."

She rolled her eyes.

"So what if I don't?" she asked, running her hand through her wet hair. She had just gotten a shower an hour earlier. 

"Come on," Zero said, getting up and walking out of the tent. She got up and followed him outside. 

They walked around the camp in silence for a few minutes before Madeline broke the silence.

"Why don't you ever call me Firecracker like everyone else?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess because I called you that before they gave you that nickname."

She laughed. 

"You barely even talked to me before they gave me my nickname," she said. He smiled.

"Yeah not really. I'm still not used to talking to someone this much," he said quietly. She nodded.

They walked around to the front of the camp again. This time D-tent were all hanging outside Mr. Sir's office. The brunette snorted.

"They didn't make this big a deal when I came," she said with a wry smile. 

"I would have."

She smiled at him and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"Come on, let's go meet whoever this chick is," Madeline sighed.

***

Anna walked out of Mr. Sir's office, disgusted that her earlier prediction was right - they were digging holes in this junkyard. 

"Yo Mom! The new girl's here!" a boy with a du rag on his head shouted. Suddenly a man with white crap on his nose appeared.

"Hello Anneliese! I'm Dr. Pendanski..."

***

The girl was facing with her back towards Zero and Madeline but they could tell she was blonde. And that all the guys were already drooling over her.

As they walked closer, Armpit saw them.

"It's about time you lovebirds showed up! The new girl's here!" he yelled. The blonde girl turned around.

Madeline's non-interested face suddenly turned to one of surprise and complete rage. The other girl's face also switched. Zero's eyebrow rose.

"Madeline, Zero, this is-"

"Anneliese Rebecca Harris of San Antonio, Texas, born on September 18, 1989 in New Orleans, Louisiana, age thirteen," Madeline spat angrily. Zero stared quizzically at her. 

Wait a minute... she said that this girl's last name was Harris... 

"Shut the f*ck up, Madeline. You obviously haven't changed any since the last time I saw you," the blonde shot back. 

"What the heck?" ZigZag yelled. Both girls shot him death glares.

"Watch your back, Anna. Mommy dearest ain't here to protect you anymore," the brunette said angrily. She turned on her heel and walked back towards the tent.

***

"She's your sister... isn't she?" Zero asked her quietly. It was later that night and everyone was in bed. That is, except for Zero and Madeline who were sitting outside the tent like they had so many times before.

"Yeah...," she whispered. He looked up at her to see her face shining in tears.

"Madeline...," he said, placing his hand over her's. She looked into his deep brown eyes and sighed.

"I haven't seen my half-sister in three years. _Three years_, Hector. She's learned to hate me. I ruined her life when I ran away. She hates me for that. I was the one person who...," she stopped. He nodded at her to go on.

"I was the one person who 'protected' her. It wasn't really from anything in particular... I just... was there. When my mom was out buying drugs or getting high or doing God knows what, I was her guardian angel... and now she hates me," she said quietly, looking at the ground. Zero reached up and touched her face, silently urging her to look at him.

"Madeline, no matter what your sister thinks, you can't keep saying that. I don't believe it's true because when you first saw her today, you were to angry to really look at her. I saw the look on her face, in her eyes. I saw pain but I also saw _hope_. I don't think she hates you as much as you think," he said, wiping away her tears with his thumb. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and looked back at him.

"There's just too much that time cannot erase," she whispered. Madeline stood up and walked back into the tent. A couple minutes later, Zero followed her. 

Before he crawled into his cot, he looked over at her. The brunette's words echoed in his head... _There's just too much that time cannot erase_. He wasn't sure what that meant, and he wasn't even certain he wanted to.


End file.
